Chapter Fifteen – Wager

Summary:Jacob waits for Bella to respond to his declaration of love, but she can’t think of anything to say. She stutters and tries to leave, but Jacob pulls her back attempting to explain that he knows how she’s feeling. He asks her point blank if she wants him to go away and never see her again. Bella admits that she wouldn’t want that. She says she misses Jacob when he’s not around, but only when he’s happy. She goes on to say it’s because he’s like family, and that she only loves him… and is not in love with him.

Jacob is pleased enough by this, and says he’ll “stick around.” Bella feels uncomfortable, especially when Jacob affectionately touches and caresses her. She asks him to behave himself, but Jacob replies that she’ll have to take him or leave him the way he is, since he will not change his behavior claiming Edward is no longer her whole life. He wants Bella to understand that Edward isn’t her only choice. Jacob suddenly turns serious, taking Bella’s chin in his hand. He tells her he’s not going to stop fighting until her heart stops beating. Bella remarks that her time as a human is limited, which causes Jacob to become yet even more serious. He declares this is only more motivation for him to fight, “fight harder now, while I can.”

Jacob kisses her angrily and aggressively, and Bella fights back without success. After realizing that her efforts are useless, she shuts herself down and stands still as a statue, hoping this will finally stop him. And it works. He pulls away, smiles and shuts his eyes, and after answering Bella that he is indeed finished, she punches him in the mouth as hard as possible, injuring her hand in the process. Once he realizes what’s happened, Jacob tries to soothe her but she yells at him to get away saying she’s leaving at once.

Jacob stays calm, offering her a ride home. She refuses and thinks to herself that if she can just get to the treaty line Alice will be able to “see” her and send Edward to pick her up. Jacob insists on driving her, and she finally accepts.

During the entire drive back to Forks Jacob repeatedly frustrates Bella with references to the kiss, saying even that it was incredible and professing that she doesn’t have to change anything to be with him. No matter how many times Bella asserts that she can’t – and doesn’t want to be – happy without Edward, Jacob relentlessly urges her to “just think about it.”

Bella is surprised, and annoyed, when she realizes Jacob is taking her to Charlie’s house instead of to Edward’s, where she’d hoped to have Carlisle look at her hand. Jacob offers to drive her to the hospital, but she refuses. Once at the Swan home, Bella tells Jacob to go home. He of course follows her inside anyway, where Charlie asks what the fuss is about. Jacob explains without reservation. Charlie responds only with pleasure over Jacob’s actions. This irritates Bella. She silently gets herself some ice for her hand, and dials Edward on the phone.

Bella tells Edward what happened. Edward speeds over to the Swan home at once, while Charlie worries that perhaps Jacob should leave beforehand. Jacob chooses to stay, completely at ease. When Edward arrives, his first concern is only for Bella’s hand. He examines it and affirms that it is most likely broken. He attempts to confront Jacob, but Charlie steps in quickly, afraid of a fight. Edward takes Bella and leaves, heading to the car and planning to take her straight to Carlisle, but Jacob follows them outside. After helping Bella into the Volvo, Edward turns to finally address Jacob, and they engage in a brief and seemingly calm yet intense altercation concerning Bella and both their intentions to fight for her. Bella never says another word to Jacob, refusing to even return his smiles or acknowledge his well-wishes for her injured hand.

As they arrive at the Cullen home, Edward pulls around to the garage where Bella sees Rosalie and Emmett working on the Jeep. Emmett notices Bella’s hand and asks her about it, bursting into laughter when she admits to punching a werewolf in the face. Rosalie, however, brings his laughter to an abrupt halt when she mentions merely that “Jasper’s going to win the bet.” When Bella asks about the comment, Edward grudgingly explains that Jasper and Emmett are betting on how well Bella will be able to handle her first year as a vampire, and on how many people she will lose control over and kill. Edward also affirms that Jasper is betting high, since it would make Jasper feel better about his own struggles with sticking to the Cullen’s diet.

Carlisle treats Bella’s broken hand. She is able to escape with only a brace, and she promises Carlisle she will keep it on. But all the while she is really only thinking about this disturbing new development concerning the bet.

Bella thinks to herself about what she will be like as a newborn vampire. She hopes to be beautiful, but worries she will also be wild and possibly weak. She comforts herself with thoughts of Edward, however, saying that she trusts him enough to keep her a good person. Still, she begins to be seriously troubled about her sense of self, and if it will be the same once she is changed. She wonders if she’ll want the same things that she does now, as a human. Bella realizes that Edward’s desire for her to have all her human experiences doesn’t seem so silly after all. She considers the possibility that there may be a human experience she isn’t willing to forfeit.